CD and DVD reviews
There aren’t a lot of artists who are also excellent storytellers. Andrea Desmond is one of the few singer/songwriters that can write a lovely song and also deliver and effervescent performance. Based out of Los Angeles, Andrea trained under Alan Menken who has won many Oscar awards for his composition works in well-known Disney classics.…
Midnight Lands is essentially Ben Averch, as he plays drums, percussion, bass, guitars, keyboards and loops as well as singing these twelves fantastic songs. He also wrote these songs, except for “Sea Break,” which is one for which Kat Manning contributed lyrics. Manning also created the spacey album artwork for Destroy the World. This is…
Calling it the sound of “sweet and agonizing rock” Portland’s J. Graves sweeps the listener into a bed of ruffled riffs and tidal waves of pounding percussion in the punkish rock track “Chapters.” J. Graves (Jessa Graves) is former frontwoman for HelloKopter and spent a year working on the forthcoming full-length, Marathon, out September 13th.…
Sabino is originally from Guadalajara but is beginning to make quite the name for himself on the Mexican music scene. His new album is titled Yin, and it’s filled with plenty of energetic music. Sabino calls what he does SAB-HOP, as he mixes traditional music styles with more contemporary sounds. The album’s best song is…
FB – https://www.facebook.com/ronnue/ Following a brief but well-advised parental advisory in the self-explanatory “Rated M.A.,” Ronnue immediately launches into the funkafied “If We Stayed 2gether,” the first slab of rhythmic urban thunder that his new album Introduction 2 Retro-Funk has lined up for us. The groove-driven swing of this track is unbelievably catchy, and by the time…
Mr MooQ begins “Good Luck With That” with an unaccompanied vocal, before a disco-y groove kicks in. What follows is a slightly moody dance-pop piece. Usually when people say, ‘Good luck with that,’ it’s a bit of a kiss-off statement. Oftentimes, it comes after considering another person’s poor plans and opting out of the situation.…
A tenderness runs through Tony Levitas’ heartfelt “Never Could Be Wrong”. Done with a great soulfulness, Tony Levitas incorporates elements of the blues, indie rock, dream pop and balladry into a perfect whole. His voice possesses such reassurance as the entirety of the work has a gracefulness. The attention to detail feels simply stunning, for…
Ronin’s “Chemical Smiles” opens with Ronin pleading, “It’s your chemical smile.” All over a funky, Prince-like groove, sung soulfully with a rapper’s attitude. Perhaps Ronin’s most Prince-esque moment is the wau he squeals at the end, and when sweet synthesizers jump in — like a Paisley Park The Time recording — it seals the deal.…
“That’s Just Fine” is described as Sean Shiff’s try at coping with our current American political circumstance, which he describes as nauseating. Specifically, Shiff focuses his attention on President Donald Trump. The song begins with just a guitar riff, before jumping into a strummed guitar part and vocal. “Somehow he can hypnotize,” Shiff says of…
Taken from his album Waiting for the Truth, “What This Is” is a thumping folk song, colored a lot by gypsy fiddle and a touch of organ. The lyric is deeply philosophical. It also asks more questions than it ever answers. The first verse finds Smith stating, “We don’t fight any more/We never really could.”…
Joe Hanson’s “If The World Was A Small Town” begins with an electric guitar riff reminiscent of Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” which then transitions into a groove that hints at Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.” Hanson is categorized as country music, but one must add the disclaimer that Hanson’s take…
Koji Yoneyama’s infinitely cool “DIALOG” recalls Wes Montgomery at the height of his powers. A soulful sophisticated sound adds to its urbane spirit. Whether going for the reflective or the fiery, a great range is on display. The songs strike a unique balance. Never overdoing anything the whole band listens to each other playing off…
Lush vocals and a natural cadence to vocalist Suzannah Raudaschl of the band Bridal Party adds wonderful depth to the stirring song “Nectarine” from the forthcoming album Too Much. The band, also comprised of Joseph Leroux (guitar), Lee Gauthier (bass), Adrian Heim (drums) and Jordan Clairmont (keyboards), has a slight affinity for a somber mood…
The Jorgensens’ “Storyville” is a lovely, soulful song about The Big Easy. It’s a song that, justly, sounds like the region it describes. The Jorgensens ae a singing couple comprised of Brianna and Kurt. Kurt takes the lead on this one. He sings it with plenty of R&B power. Its arrangement includes organ, piano, a…
You don’t have to watch the news for too long before you start to say to yourself, ‘It’s raining nonsense!” The band Strangely Alright uses the word ‘reigning,’ rather than ‘raining,’ but the point is still the same. The group is from the Seattle, WA area, but their influences mostly come from across the pond.…
URL: http://www.relickings.ca/ With a passionate burst of energy, Relic Kings take a blistering guitar riff and push it into a galloping beat at the onset of “Blinded by the Sun,” the new single from their debut album, also titled Blinded by the Sun. There’s a sense of optimism in the ascending melody, but it’s flanked with…
Michael Whalen delivers a soulful emotive piece of pristine beauty with the lovely “Cupid Blindfolded”. With masterful playing, Michael Whalen attentive, patient style recalls the best of Keith Jarrett’s work. By keeping things to the pure essentials, the album, truly resonates in a deep, meaningful manner. The melodic richness of the work comes from the…
A confident strut of the percussion is all that it takes for the title track of 2.O.F.’s debut EP The Machine to get everyone in the room dancing like it’s their last night on earth, and while the beat is eroticized by the feverish rhythm of the bassline, it’s only made as potent as it is by…
“Tomorrow,” a single off Mark Schirmacher’s Losing Things album, begins with a chime-y acoustic guitar intro. When Schirmacher begins singing, he describes seeking someone out. “Tomorrow,” he announces, “I’m gonna go looking for you.” Just who this “you” is, however, is not entirely clear. The name of Schirmacher’s album, Losing Things, may give us a…
Optimism rests at the heart and soul of Dave Munsick’s unique Americana of “I Can Fly”. Full of such dazzling color the song opts for a spry tempo to lead it along. Arrangements have a great poignancy to them at times both drawing from a 70s singer-songwriter style as well as contemporaries like Lambchop. By…
Slowly but surely, a charming acoustic guitar comes slinking out of the shadows in “Eu Vim Da Bahia,” the brand new single from acclaimed Latin jazz newcomer Integriti Reeves. There’s nothing menacing about its euphoric melody, and yet its amiable disposition is rife with an underlying emotionality that will soon be further explained in a…
“Locations” opens up the collection with such swagger, with FSG Rell (feat. Nico DC) going for a party vibe. Done with a neon-hued style, their flows feel flawless while the energy feels infectious. All of it works from the crisp beats to the bouncy groove. Emily Cole opts for a luxurious expansive sound with “Dead…
Chad Rico is nothing, if not productive. His 12 Weeks of Summer series continues his consistent hip-hop output. For the most part, these four new songs find Rico relaxed and enjoying himself. In other words, he sounds just like summer. His ode to a great summer vacation spot, “Barbados,” features Rico enjoying the beach in…
On the pop music spectrum, Mark Schirmacher leans toward the gentler side. His album Losing Things includes plenty of pretty, fingerpicked acoustic guitar. Furthermore, Schirmacher is also a soft sort of vocalist. With that said, though, there are exceptions to this rule. One titled “Study of Love” revs up the groove to a train-like folk…
Caracol’s new single “Flooded Field” is one of the more engrossing singles I have heard so far in 2019. Taken from the Canadian based musical artist’s 2018 release Symbolism, Caracol created and filmed a music video for the track as well that complements it rather well. The confidence behind this package is apparent. Caracol entered the…
“Something Wrong with Me” is a single from Jacques Gaines’ full length album Volume Won and is an excellent example of singer/songwriter driven fare in the 21st century. The album is the end product of sixteen months worth of hard work and represents Gaines’ return to the popular music arena following ten plus years working in…
DJ FENIX – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/djfenix/ Take one part treble, a touch of white noise and a whole lot of understated melodic grinding in the synths – throw them into a sonic mixing bowl and churn as hard as possible (with a ton of volume added in just for good measure), and you’ll get the “Dub…
There are a couple of clear break points in Giadora’s first single “Twisted” and it helps frame this dramatic release for listeners. I admire the obvious design of the song; the airy ethereal introduction strikes an effective opening note before the song’s pulsing beat begins and Giadora launches us towards the first verse. The Los…
ReLove’s “Fly Away (Anything Is Possible)” begins with the sound of a ticking clock, which then gives way to a thumping groove colored by soulful organ. “I don’t care about time” they sing later, as though there’s no clock anywhere within earshot. “Should I get up or stay in bed/I can’t find the answer in…
As stylish as they are sleek, the beats that guide the tempo in Satellītes’ new single and music video, “Love & Disaster,” are an embodiment of cool jazz textures and sensuous R&B swing, but they’re only one of many brilliant elements to behold in the latest cut from Jasmine Bleile’s solo project. “Love & Disaster,”…
URL: http://www.shanesmithmusic.com/ Searing sounds of amplified destruction make their way into the atmosphere at the command of Shane Smith & the Saints in “Heaven Knows,” the first track in their new album, Hail Mary. “We set our sails for deeper seas, heaven knows what we will find,” croons the always-amazing Smith in the chorus of…
Andrew Neil has been described as an outsider musical artist and compared to Daniel Johnston. Words like “raw” and “unpolished” are used to help draw word pictures for his unique sound. “Hope” is an example of Neil’s special contribution to the music world. Neil has an eventful biography — to say the least. He was…
I remember interviewing Paul Graves back in 2016 and was just so enthralled with his mountainous music and wildlife lifestyle, (https://skopemag.com/2016/10/07/jimmy-rae-goin-squatchin-with-mountain-man-paul-graves). They say home is where the heart is but in Paul’s case, home is where the heartfelt music stems from. Surrounded by spectacular views and pure nature at its finest, Wenatchee, Washington is where…
The single “Open My Mind” begins with the repeated line, “I want to get away.” It’s not that Southwest Airlines commercial advertising slogan, however. Instead, it’s a lyric sung urgently over a driving, Ramones-esque guitar riff. Tough On Fridays is an unusual female duo from Georgetown, Texas. Female duos aren’t especially unique, as Indigo Girls…
Cincinnati, Ohio’s Living Darian stays true to his moniker with the impressive 18-track album Live For Love. Out now via New King Records, Living Darian emphasizes his passion for living and seizing each moment in each of the distinctly different 18 songs. With plenty of inspirational lyrics, cascading piano beds and a vast array of…
“Down Down,” which comes from Bonne Finken’s Gauntlet album, is a survival song. It begins with a spooky, spacey intro, and then transitions into a thumping percussion part. Finken sings about survival, and how she made it without the help from the subject in this song. It’s as though she’s saying to this person, ‘Look,…
A silky-smooth style flow throughout Arthur Jae’s “God Will Make It Better”. Such a resonant approach works wonders as Arthur Jae brings together contemporary gospel, R&B, and a bit of pop into the proceedings. Full of a sunny optimism his lyricism lifts the listener up. Carefully selected word choice further adds to the overall power…
Matt The Fucking Rapper’s flow has a fantastical unhinged quality on “Wake Up Do Better”. His lyrics feel on point while they opt for a pitch perfect storytelling alongside a surprisingly wide amount of references that filter into the mix. From Drake disses to reflection on a life lived to the fullest, Matt The Fucking…
“Hey mom and dad/I want a puppy,” The Jolly Pops announce from the outset of their single “I Want a Puppy.” Although this lyrical statement expresses a familiar child sentiment, it comes off closer to a demand than a request. Furthermore, this pet request is placed within a heavy metal musical landscape. The sonic has…
The TeleDynes deliver a swinging, rockabilly sound with the colossal tidal wave of their self-titled effort. Done with the greatest level of care, they tap into Dick Dale’s incredible riffing style with a fast-paced rush through such a wide variety of genres ranging from classic rock to the blues to jazz. Over the course of…
